Gunbuster Science Lessons

Gunbuster Science Lessons (トップをねらえ！科学講座) is a series of animated shorts which explains the fictional science of the Gunbuster universe. In this series, Noriko Takaya and Kazumi Amano, in chibi form, teach the viewers about various scientific topics. Typically, Noriko displays lack of knowledge on said subject and Coach pops in to lecture her on the importance of studying.

The series has 4 original episodes from 1988, an extra fifth and sixth episode from 1994, and seventh and eighth episodes from 2012. There was also an episode created for Top o Nerae! 2: Diebuster, featuring Lal'c and Nono.

The shorts feature chibi versions of the show's main characters standing in front of a display similar to that of a 1980s Apple computer. In the 1994 episodes, this background was updated, and in the 2012 episode, it was replaced with an iPad display.

The series references a fictional scientist named Tannhauser and cites him as one of the three major physicists, along with Newton and Einstein.

It is in this series that it is revealed that Noriko is a fan of 20th century anime. In it, Noriko discusses some of her favorite series, to which Kazumi responds, "You are the greatest otaku in the universe."

In Episode 6, when Noriko names the planets of the solar system, she quickly dresses up as their corresponding Sailor Moon characters, to varying degrees of success.

These shorts are the inspiration for the 2015 Steven Universe short "What are Gems?".